Hylton insists only 'father figure' Jones could have kept Luton in the Championship

Hatters striker Danny Hylton believes that manager Nathan Jones is the only person who could have kept Town in the Championship this campaign.

The former Luton chief was reappointed to the hot-seat in May after previous manager Graeme Jones had his contract cancelled by mutual consent during lockdown.

He took over with Hatters some six points adrift of safety, plus a terrible goal difference and a mere nine games with which to save their season.

Jones did just that though, securing safety on the final day with victory over Blackburn Rovers, as on the achievement, Hylton said: “I'm biased, if you ask me about the gaffer, I’ve always said, he’s the best, but he’s the best for this group of players as well.

“He knows every single one of us inside out, we know everything that he wants, he expects and he demands and it’s a great relationship that he’s got with Luton Town.

"I’ve never said a bad word about him, I think he’s the best, he’s the best for this group of people.

“He’s been the best for me and, for me, he’s the only man that would’ve kept us in the division to be fair, I think that highly of him.

“I don’t think it’s a job that many other people could’ve done, if any, so I think he has to take a lot of credit for that.

On just why he feels Jones is such a good fit for the Hatters, Hylton continued: “I can’t tell you the exact characteristic, but the minute I signed for him, when I signed for Luton four years ago, he just put confidence and belief in me.

“This might sound preachy, but it’s not just with me, he loves everyone of us.

“He’s a manager but he’s like a father figure to all of us.

“He’s more than a manager and when you give that to your players, they play with confidence, freedom and belief.

“We know there are lines that we can’t cross, we know what he expects and his high standards.

“We know that when we’re working, we’re working, but he’s very good at knowing the balance between work and a relationship off the pitch.”

His thoughts were echoed by skipper Sonny Bradley who was fulsome in his praise for Jones’ achievements since returning.

He said: “I always knew what we were going to get when Nathan came in, due to working with him in the past.

“So for me, with that group of boys that Nathan brought most of them in, he was certainly the best man for the job.

"It’s not only me that knows that, anyone in football, anyone in the EFL who knows about Nathan’s relationship with the football club will know that he was the right man to take the job after Graeme left.

“He brought a lot of spirit to the boys and I think when any new manager comes in, they do tend to bring a certain energy and do tend to get a bit more out of the players.

“You can see from the likes of Andrew Shinnie and Elliot Lee who have come back into the team and had a really big impact, so he’s made some great decisions on that front.

“You’ve got to take your hat off to the manager, he’s come in, he’s made a difference and he’s helped keep us in the division and for that I think we’ll be forever thankful for him.”